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One of the strange aspects of our society is that the more highly valued an employee is, the further they are removed from the customer. Look at almost any industry and you will see that as an employee gets raises and promotions, the new responsibilities that come with the promotions take them further from the customer that actually brings the money in to the business.

And so it is with the Branstad education bill. Teachers who do an excellent job in the classroom will be given an opportunity to earn more money by leaving the classroom and becoming a “mentor teacher.” Thus we will be incentivizing our best teachers to remove themselves from the customer -your children and grandchildren.

I really have to wonder about the rationale behind such a move. If I have heard one thing over and over it is that we want our best teachers in the classroom. Not as observers or quasi-bosses but as teachers. Nearly each and every one of us can relate a story of how a good teacher inspired us or a bad teacher turned us off forever on a given subject. Seems to me that removing the best teachers from the classroom is similar to getting rid of your best sales people. Short term gains, long term slump.

Wars Can’t Stop Our Government; Republicans Can
It is quite a curiosity that our government has not been stopped by an invasion of British in the war of 1812, by a Civil War that came close to Washington, D.C. itself and a World War that was unique in its horror and reach. Even the threats of terror through the mail of public officials failed to slow down or stop our government. But once more on March 1st (next Friday) our government faces yet another in what seems to be an endless series of threats from the now ultra right wing party known as the Republicans.

Acting like a group of majorly spoiled 2 year olds, once more Republicans are holding their collective breath until they turn blue and making demands that will hurt each and every citizen in some way. Now, I am sure you and I know what should be done with a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum – they should get their diaper changed and sent to bed. Then maybe they will learn to act in a proper manner.

Ridng Dinosaurs In Oklahoma
Wish this was a joke but it isn’t. The Oklahoma Common Education Committee pased a bill proposed by Rep. Gus Blackwell that “would forbid teachers from penalizing students who turn in papers attempting to debunk almost universally accepted scientific theories such as biological evolution and anthropogenic (human-driven) climate change.” Stated another way, students could make untestable, faith-based claims in science classes without fear of receiving a poor mark.

That brings up a series of questions which begins, “Why bother teaching biology?” and ends with “why bother sending anyone to school at all?” If proven scientific theory is open to question based on religious belief, then why not math or language? The upside is we won’t be paying taxes for education any more. Bobby Jindahl was right – they are the stupid party.

Buy-Buy Democracy.
The Supreme Court has decided to hear McCutcheon V. the Federal Election Commission concerning the contribution limits to campaigns. Like its predecessor, the infamous Citizens United, it looks like McCutcheon will be the Roberts Court’s second shot at putting democracy up for sale. I expect a 5-4 decision with contribution limits going down. Once more the Roberts Court will stand in opposition to hundreds of years of decisions just as they were in Citizens United.

I simply can’t see much good this will do. The only good we can hope for is that Move To Amend has not yet proposed a constitutional amendment, so they can add this one to the one nullifying Citizens United. Buy buy democracy!

80 Years Ago on March 4th, 1933
Franklin Roosevelt was inaugurated as President.The rest, as they say, is history. I am not going to compare what Obama has done to what Roosevelt accomplished. Obama has had historic opposition that Roosevelt did not have to encounter. Considering the roadblocks that Republicans in congress have thrown at Obama, he has done a pretty fair job. And thank goodness we had a Roosevelt when we needed him. I never knew what party my parents were, but I know the name Roosevelt was revered.